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By the way, if you sniff your cast iron, and it smells metallic, the seasoning is in need of repair. If it is well seasoned, it will not smell that way, and will be shiny and black as coal. If the skillet is in seriously bad shape, you can put it through a self-cleaning cycle in the oven to burn it down to bare metal and start seasoning over from scratch, or you can just start treating it as I describe, and the seasoning will repair and become maintained over time.
Here's what you do: after cooking, you remove whatever food scraps or liquid may remain, put about half a teaspoon (more for a big job) of regular table salt in, and scour it with an old rag. I cut up ratty holey socks and other ruined cloth and keep handy for things like this.
When the surface is clean and smooth, tip the dirty salt into the trash or sink, and then rub with a clean soft bit of cloth with a dab of shortening or grease until the surface is again shiny and black. Again, I keep a small square of clean soft cotton cloth in my shortening can, for this purpose, and reuse it. So long as the skillet was scoured clean with the salt, the shortening cloth stays clean enough to use many times before washing or replacing.
Hang skillet on the wall until next use (or store in the oven). By not washing or rinsing my skillet in water, and never using soap (or especially detergents) on it, the natural nonstick surface stays healthy and food never sticks.
The other trick is, you have to know what level of heat is best, and heat the skillet thoroughly before adding food. Eggs require a much gentler heat than things like bacon or other meats. Cooking eggs on high will glue them to the pan (and result in tough eggs).
So, watch the heat level for the type of food, heat the skillet 5 to 10 minutes before adding food, and keep the natural "seasoning" healthy by scouring with salt and oiling after each use, and cooking with cast iron will be a pleasure!
By Crunchymamamaine from Maine
Related: 
Cooking with Cast Iron Pans
By
08/17/2009
I tried the salt routine then rubbed down inside AND outside with canola oil. Then I put it in the oven at a low temperature for a couple hours. Food still stuck. Maybe it's the temp when I put the food in. My Mother all her life used cast iron and nothing ever stuck. She was cooking with a gas stove; mine is electric. I've wondered if that made a difference. I'd like to hear someone's comment on cooking foods containing tomatoes. I've heard that can cause problems.
By
08/12/2009
Thanks for the tips! I wouldn't recommend cleaning in a self-cleaning oven like I did. I had a twenty-five year old cast iron skillet that was a favorite. We bought it the week after we got married. The inside was perfect after all those years, but after the outside begins to get all crusty, I put in my self cleaning oven. Came out looking great but about two days later a big chunk of the side broke off.
By
08/12/2009
Thanks, great hints. I use my pan often and sometimes I find the pan is not seasoned completely. Thanks for the detailed instructions.
By
08/12/2009
I cannot cook without my iron pan. Sometimes it gets crusty on the outside. My children like small fires or roasting oysters in the back yard. When they get a fire going I throw my iron pan in the coals. When it cools it is like brand new. Then I season it again.
By
08/11/2009
All that and they add iron to your food too! I've been a cast iron pan-fan for years. Occasionally I'll use water to clean one, when I do I always dry it off on a low temp burner on the stove then rub a little oil or Crisco on it to prevent rust then stack them in the cupboard with a paper towel between each one. Just a tiny bit of care & they can't be beat!
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